Chapter 2

"Are there any requirements for earning one of these vouchers, Lilith? Do I have to do something to get them?"

Lilith shook her head. She had a bright smile on her face when she locked arms with me and said, "There aren't any specific requirements. It just depends on my mood."

I didn't think too deeply about her words at the time, assuming that she just wanted to spice things up in our relationship. But after giving it more thought, perhaps Lilith had already betrayed me and was already cheating on me with my best friend, Declan Smith, then.

"When are you coming back, Theo?" Mom asked a little anxiously when I remained silent for a long time.

"In about a week," I replied. "I need some time to handle things here."

I had just returned from an overseas business trip. I was supposed to return to the company to give them a report, but after I decided to give Lilith a surprise, I returned to the country earlier than planned. As a result, I discovered her betrayal.

I took a deep breath and pushed the issue of Lilith cheating on me with Declan to the back of my mind for the time being. I then returned to the company. After I was done giving my report, I sent an email to the CEO, Lawson Miller, arranging a time for us to speak in private.

"Thank you for making the time to meet me, Mr. Miller," I said. "I've decided to resign from my position as the director of the company."

"You and your girlfriend, Lilith, are head over heels in love with each other," Lawson said with a smile. "I heard that the two of you are getting married soon. Are you resigning so that you can become a full-time househusband?"

These days, many men whose wives earned more than they did chose to quit their jobs and become full-time househusbands. However, I wasn't one of them.

Not wanting to explain myself too much, I decided to play along with him. "You could say that. I'll complete the handover of my responsibilities within the week."

I only received a message from Lilith after I was done filing the paperwork for my resignation.

"Have you returned from your business trip, darling?"

"That's right. I'm at the company right now."

"Look behind you."

I turned to look behind me and saw Lilith standing at the door with a bouquet of fresh flowers. Her smile was still as beautiful as before, as if she wasn't the one who was cheating on me with Declan.

"Welcome back, Theo," she said.

My colleagues' voices were laced with envy as they whispered among themselves.

"Oh my god. Theo and Lilith are still as madly in love as ever. I'm so jealous. I would be so happy if I had a girlfriend like her."

After finishing that day's handover, I had the rest of the afternoon off. I didn't say a single word as I walked out of the office.

Lilith offered a bouquet of pink lisianthus to me. I preferred roses, but she only gave lisianthus to me for some time. When I asked her why, she said that lisianthus symbolized praising another person for their charm in the language of flowers. Thus, she gave me lisianthus because she thought that I was charming.

I never doubted her words before. However, after giving it more thought, I realized that she bought the lisianthus because they were Declan's favorite flowers.

I didn't accept the bouquet.

Lilith also didn't say anything and walked with me to the parking lot. I was just about to slip into the passenger seat when I noticed a pack of cigarettes on it.

"Declan accidentally left that behind when I sent him to the hospital when he was sick," Lilith explained guiltily. "He's your best friend. You don't mind that he sat in the passenger seat, right?"

I was someone with a mean possessive streak. I forbade anyone else from sitting in the passenger seat of Lilith's car. We would always get into a huge fight whenever I discovered that someone else had sat there.

However, I no longer had any interest in arguing with Lilith. I shook my head lightly and said, "I don't mind."

Although it was the first time that I hadn't been petty, Lilith wasn't pleased by my reaction. On the contrary, she couldn't shake the feeling that something weird was going on.

"Are you really not mad, Theo?" she asked again, not willing to give up just yet.

I moved the pack of cigarettes aside and slipped into the passenger seat.

"That's right. I don't mind," I replied evenly. "You had a perfectly good reason. Why would I get mad?"

Whenever we argued in the past, Lilith would get upset and complain that I was too petty and that my behavior made her uncomfortable.